The Backyard Bird Directory

Common Grackle

This is a very large blackbird with striking yellow eyes and bronze or purple feathers reminiscent of David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust period. He’s quite the cosmopolitan traveler and can be found from pine forests to farmland in eastern North America.

The Common Grackle loves both insects and grains so you’d better have an effective scarecrow to keep him out of your cornfields during his winter migration. Common Grackles are one of the first to begin their nesting season, often in late March and early April in the central portion of their range.